Mutagenicity of Pepsi-Cola in Escherichia Coli

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Modified Ames Test for Mutagenicity of Pepsi-Cola in Escherichia coli

I. Introduction

Certain substances have been avoided because of their potential harmful effects on the body. One way a substance has affected cells was by changing their genetic material. A substances’ potential to cause changes in genetic information was the mutagenicity of the substance. If it caused changes in the DNA sequence, it was considered a mutagen. The altering of a DNA sequence was a concern because the modification of DNA can lead to cancer. Mutagens may act as cancer causing agents, commonly known as carcinogens (Biology 214 Laboratory Handout, 2008). As a result, there was a large amount of research done focused on identifying mutagens. There was an emphasis on substances that people regularly come in contact with, often through eating. Certain substances found in a large portion for a typical human diet have been studied for mutagenicity. One of these substances was Pepsi-Cola, a common drink sold and consumed across the world.

Pepsi-Cola was concerning because people consume it worldwide. Scientists who have studied Pepsi-Cola focused on the caffeine contained in the soda. A 12-ounce Pepsi-Cola contains 38.4 mg of caffeine (Lamarine, 1994). Caffeine was also readily found in many other substances regularly consumed by people including coffee, chocolate, tea, Coca-Cola and other beverages (Lamarine, 1994). Many researchers have done studies on the mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of caffeine. One such individual, Margaret Lieb studied the mutagenic effect that caffeine had on Escherichia coli that which had been treated with ultra-violet radiation. The results of her study reveled a greater number of mutant E. coli in the sample where...

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...ology 214 Laboratory Handout, 2008).

III. References

Biology 214 Laboratory Handout 2008. Ames testing: are chemicals, mutations, and cancer linked?

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. 5 pp.

Kuhlmann, W., Fromme, H.G., Heege, E.M. and W. Ostertag. 1968. The Mutagenic Action of Caffeine

in Higher Organisms. Cancer Research, 28: 2375-2389.

Lamarine, R.J. 1994. Selected Health and Behavioral Effects Related to the Use of Caffeine. Journal of

Community Health, 19(6): 449-466.

Lieb, M. 1961. Enhancement of Ultraviolet-Induced Mutation in Bacteria by Caffeine. Zeitshrift für

Vererbungslehre, 92: 416-429.

Stefani, E.D., Boffeta, P., Deneo-Pellegrini, H., Correa, P., Ronco, A.L., Brennan, P., Ferro, G., Acosta, G., and M. Mendilaharsu. 2007. Non-alcoholic beverages and risk of bladder cancer in Uruguay. BMC Cancer, 7:57.

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